You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover
by Data Girl 3
Summary: Mark is selected to provide temporary room and board for Redefining Pictures’ latest prospective client. However, this new client is not what he seems. Please Read and Review.
1. Alone but not Alone

**AN:** I actually thought it would take me longer to have this posted, but the words were just flowing onto the computer screen. The ending to this chapters rather abrupt, but if I write much more, I'll be going into the next chapter.

* * *

Mark woke up on a dreary, rainy Saturday morning to the smell of coffee brewing and the sound of his family talking and laughing in the Condo's kitchen. A smile broke out on his face as he crawled out of bed. Emily always had a tendency to go all out in making breakfast on Saturdays, and today was no exception. Coffee was being prepared over the family hotplate, with hot chocolate for the children, and the addition of a pitcher of orange juice, the sides of the liquid-filled pitcher already collecting moisture. Arranged on the metal table were fresh, warm biscuits with softened butter beside them, French toast, a plate of homemade waffles, and warmed maple syrup. Mark stood for a moment, just looking at the group of people sitting at the table. Zack and Rodolfo were chatting away about a movie that had just came out the other day, Lucia was happily eating her breakfast, swinging her feet back and forth under the table, and Penny was on the phone, most likely talking to James. A short distance from the metal table, the family pets, Wenceslas the potbellied pig and Maya the cat, were contently eating the contents of their food dishes. By the sink, Emily was washing the pans she'd used to make breakfast, but she looked up when Mark entered the room. Returning his smile, she walked over to give him a quick kiss.

"Good morning, sweetie," she greeted.

"Morning, Emily," Mark replied, pulling out a chair next to Zack, just as the frizzy-haired boy downed the last few bites of his waffle. The second he was finished, he and Rodolfo got up from the table to deposit their dishes next to the sink.

"See you later, everyone!" the boys announced, pulling on their rain slickers and sneakers.

"Wait, where're you two going?" Mark questioned, surprised by their sudden departure.

"Oh, we told Alvin we'd meet him at the arcade today," Rodolfo explained. "There's a special event down there today. The game machines give out _twice _as many tickets then they usually do."

"Yeah, we might be able to get enough to get that cool plasma ball this time," Zack explained. "Well, we better get going. See you later, Dad."

"Don't spend more then five dollars each on those games!" Emily called after them.

"We won't," the boys chorused as they dashed out of the Condo.

As Mark let out a sigh, Penny, who had finished talking with James on the phone, came around to give him a 'good morning' hug. The hug was interrupted when Lucia started tugging on Penny's arm.

"Come on, Penny!" Lucia grinned. "We'll be late."

"Don't tell me you're going to the arcade, too?" Mark blinked.

"Of course not," Penny laughed. "You know Rodolfo and Zack are the only ones who have fun down there. Lucia has a play date with her friend, Julie today. I said I'd drop her off on the way to the movies. I'm meeting James down there. It's Sammy's birthday, so we're taking him to see that new Pixar film, followed by lunch at this burger restaurant."

"Oh. Well, have fun," Mark waved as his two daughters left. Once they had gone, he gave another sigh, glancing up at Emily, who had just finished with the dishes. "And here I was hoping to have a Family Day, and head out to the museum or something." The filmmaker shook his head. "But I guess it's just you and me, today." Emily instantly frowned, and looked really sorry about something.

"Oh, Mark, I wish you'd said something earlier," Emily groaned. "I…. I'd already made plans to go window shopping with Maureen and Joanne today." Mark's shoulders immediately slumped. "But I could always cancel if you want to…." Emily started speaking quickly, not wanting to see him so disappointed, but Mark forced a smile, waving a hand to tell her to stop.

"It's fine, Emily. You go and have fun with Maureen and Joanne."

"But…"

"Emily, it's fine!" Mark insisted. "I probably have some film to edit for work, anyway. You go and have fun with Maureen and Joanne. Don't worry about me."

"You sure?" Emily was still hesitant. She could tell Mark had really wanted to spend the day with his family, and still felt guilty about heading out.

"I'm more then sure. Now go on. Tell the girls I said 'hello', okay?"

"Okay," Emily gave in, placing a loving kiss to his cheek before grabbing her bag and leaving the Condo as well. Mark kept his smile for a while after she left, and started to go through the bedroom closet to try and pick out some clothes for the day. But as he did so, his eyes fell on a picture that had been taped to the back of the closet door, and his smile faded. In the picture, he was sitting in a booth inside the Life Café, between two other men. Roger and Collins.

It had been over ten years, but he never stopped missing his old friends, the people who'd been like a brother and an uncle to him, and he knew he'd never stop missing them. That familiar ache was always strongest in moments like this. He loved his family, he truly did. But there were many times when he still found himself alone. They all had friends they were able to spend time with on the side. Rodolfo and Zack usually hung around with Benny's son, Alvin, Lucia had Julie to play with, and Penny was spending more and more time with James and his little brother, Sammy. As for Emily, she still had Maureen and Joanne to spend 'girl time' with. But him, on the other hand; the people he'd always had 'guy time' with were gone. The only person left was Benny, but between his work at the office, and his own family, he was usually too busy. And on such short notice, there was no chance he'd be able to even spend a few minutes on the phone. Closing the closet door, Mark decided that perhaps it would be a good idea to call into work, to see if they needed him for anything today. At least that way, he could keep himself occupied.

For the third time that day, Mark let out a sigh, picking up his old Bolex, which resided on the shelf by the window, next to Emily's Nikon FM2. The two cameras had taken a place of honor on that shelf since the day Mark and Emily had to upgrade to a camera that recorded sound and one of the new digital cameras respectfully. With an ironic smile, he held the Bolex out so the lens was facing him.

"Close up on Mark Cohen," Mark spoke to the empty room, "who, despite having a fair-sized family, is still alone." As he returned the camera to its previous mantle, he felt something rub against his leg. Looking down, he saw Maya staring up again, giving a soft 'mew', as if to say 'we're still here.' A tiny smile formed on Mark's face as he picked up the grey and white cat, petting her back as he carried her back to the living room area, with Maya purring in contentment.

"Thanks for trying, Maya," Mark chuckled, placing the cat on the floor next to Wenceslas. "But it's not the same. You understand, right?" Maya just gave another soft 'mew,' blinking up at Mark. "Come on, Maya. I know you miss… oh, what am I doing? I'm so lonely, I'm talking to the cat now." Shaking his head in hopes to snap him out of it, Mark returned to his room to get dressed, so he'd be ready to head into work if they needed him that day.


	2. The Prospective Client

The food court inside the Manhattan Mall was packed that day. At one particular table, Maureen, Joanne and Emily were taking a break from window shopping, enjoying a quick lunch from one of the many fast food stands that resided in the area.

"Maureen, I think you need to remember the meaning of the term 'window shopping'," Joanne pointed out, trying to hide the fact that she really was amused, as Maureen showed off a hot fuchsia tube top she'd just bought from one of the stores.

"Oh, come on, I know what it means," Maureen insisted. "But I just _had_ to buy this. It just looked so good in the dressing room, I couldn't return it to the rack. What do you think, Emily?" Instead on answering, Emily continued to stare aimlessly at her lunch, which she kept picking at with her plastic fork without eating anything. It wasn't until Maureen lost her patience and chucked a French fry at her that Emily finally snapped out of it.

"What? Oh. Yeah, Maureen, it's very nice," Emily spoke automatically.

"Emily, is something wrong?" Joanne asked in concern. "You haven't been yourself all day."

"It's nothing, Joanne. Well, not really. I'm just…."

"Just what?" Maureen urged.

"Well…. I keep feeling guilty for leaving Mark alone today. I found out this morning he wanted to have a family day, but Penny and the children all had plans, and then I had to tell him about our 'girls day out'. I know he said it was okay, and insisted I go out and have fun, but I know Mark well enough to know when he's just being, well, Mark. And…I just keep feeling guilty.

"I miss Roger, Collins and Mimi just as much as he does, and I know you two are the same. But the main difference is, the three of us still can have 'girl time'. Mark, on the other hand; he's the only guy left from the old gang. So, while I'm out here spending time with you, he's still at home, without any of his 'guy time buddies' around to fall back on while we're having 'girl time'. And that just makes me feel guilty, almost like I'm rubbing it in his face."

"Emily, Mark knows you'd never do that," Joanne reasoned.

"Yeah, but that doesn't change how bad I feel about it."

"Hey, here's an idea," Maureen chimed in. "Maybe we should try calling Robbie up, and see if he could arrange some time off to come up to the city for a visit." Amused smiles instantly formed on Joanne and Emily's faces. About five years ago, Robbie had moved to Colorado with Rupert and Jerry, hoping to take his musical talents from Roger's old band and bring them to the next level. But he'd ended up meeting a female pharmacist and had started seeing her socially. Apart from the occasional friendly phone call, they hadn't heard much from him since. But when they did, he always made sure that his pharmacist 'friend' was usually a major topic of the conversations, which always gave the Bohemians the impression that things were pretty serious between the two.

"That might not be a good idea, Maureen," Joanne kindly rejected the suggestion. "Don't forget, Robbie was more of Roger's friend then anyone else. I can't recall him hanging around with Mark that much."

"Oh, yeah," Maureen frowned in remembrance of that hitch. "Well, maybe we could try contacting his friends from Brown….oh. No, that wouldn't work, either. Roger and Benny were the ones he hung around with the most. Wow, this is hard."

"Thanks for trying, guys," Emily shook her head, feeling appreciation toward them for at least making the attempt to come up with a solution.

"Hey, don't give up so easily," Joanne scolded, not unkindly. "I know we can come up with something."

For the rest of the afternoon, the three friends spent their time focusing on their new task of trying to come up with a list of some people that Mark wouldn't mind spending 'guy time' with.

* * *

In Redefining Pictures' studio, Mark entered the office of his boss, Patrick Green. As he stepped in, the filmmaker was met with a warm greeting.

"Thank you for coming in so fast, Mark," Patrick smiled.

"No problem," Mark nodded, taking a seat across from Patrick's desk. "You said on the phone that you wanted to ask me something?"

"Yes, of course. You see, Mark, we've just been contacted by Peter Rabe. I don't suppose you've heard of him, have you?"

"Sorry, no."

"That's quite all right. After all, he's only became a big name a few months ago, so not many people have heard of him just yet. But the important thing is, Peter Rabe is a prominent investor in film studios like ours. Just recently, he's taken notice of Redefining Pictures, and is considering investing into our company.

"Now we both know we've never placed much importance into monetary gain, but with someone as influential as Peter Rabe backing us, we might be able to afford producing some of our more costly film projects that had to be placed on hiatus due to lack of funding. I believe you've made a few project proposals that we couldn't afford to finance, Mark."

"Yeah," Mark confirmed. "So I take it we need to keep this guy happy, don't we?"

"Yes, that would be the rub. The main problem is, I've called around the city, and all the major hotels are completely booked. That's tourist season for you. Now, you know I don't wish to put any pressure on you, Mark, but when you called up asking if we needed you for anything today, I just had to call you in to ask you personally. Would you mind allowing Peter Rabe to stay at your place for a week or so?"

"At my place?" Mark blinked in surprise.

"I'm sorry for the short notification. I really am. If you really can't do it, I completely understand. Just promise me you'll think about it. I just need to let you know beforehand, if you decide the answer is 'yes.' It wouldn't just be Peter Rabe who'd be staying with you. He has a young daughter who would be traveling with him. Her name's Zoey, and I believe she's about the same age as your son and nephew, one of the reasons why I thought of you for this job right off the back.

"Remember, I'm not forcing this on you, Mark. It's your decision to make. If you decide it's too much trouble, I can always ask someone else if they'd be willing to offer room and board for Peter Rabe and Zoey."

For a time, Mark was quiet, considering things.

"I'll have to get back on you, Mr. Green," he replied finally. "This is something I need to discuss with Emily first."

"I understand," Patrick nodded. "Just be sure to call me back as soon as you reach a decision."

* * *

**AN:** I promise the plot will pick up really soon. Until then, I hope you're enjoying the story so far. Please read and review.


	3. Meeting the Rabes

**AN: **I apologize for this chapter being rather... wierd and dull. It's mainly here to introduce the Rabes. Although, there are some things in here that actually forshadows events in future chapters.

Also, I seriously would like reviews. I don't usually ask for them, but only two people have reviewed this story so far, even though it's been posted for 15 days, and that makes me sad. But please refrain from any abusive flames. They'll only get you a one-way ticket to my block list. (Thankfully, I haven't had anyone new added to that list in quite a while. I'd like to keep it that way.)

* * *

Mark stood by in the La Guardia airport, with Zack and Rodolfo accompanying him. The three of them were waiting for the passengers to get off the plane that the Rabes were arriving in. Emily hadn't been thrilled by the short notice of the arriving house guests, but she had agreed to the arrangement, on account of what having Peter as an investor would mean for Redefining Pictures, and for Mark.

After about ten minutes, the gates opened up, and a line of people began to walk out into the lobby. At the very end of the queue was a self-assured looking man with blonde hair styled with a medium fade cut, dressed in a beige Cashmere polo. Walking behind him was a fifteen-year-old girl with blonde hair growing past her shoulders, wearing an ankle length dress with a magenta sweater cover-up. Looking around, Peter took quick notice of Mark and made his way over.

"I take it you are Mark Cohen?" he asked.

"Yes, I am," Mark confirmed. "Welcome to New York. I hope you had a nice flight."

"As good as public airlines can be," Peter smirked, glancing down at Zack and Rodolfo. "And who are these young men?"

"This is my son, Zack, and my nephew, Rodolfo," Mark explained as the boys waved in turn. "And this is your daughter, Zoey, right?" Mark sent the young girl a polite smile. Zoey lowered her eyes for just a moment before speaking.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Cohen," Zoey greeted in a tone that sounded almost rehearsed.

"Now then," Peter spoke up, dropping a hand onto Zoey's shoulder. "How about you lead the way to the baggage claim?"

"Of course, right this way," Mark replied, leading the Rabes down the terminal, with Zack and Rodolfo following close behind. As they made their way to the baggage claim, Mark continued speaking to Peter.

"I hope you understand my apartment wasn't really designed with a guest room," Mark began. "All the bedroom areas are filled by my family, so I hope you won't be too upset with using the sofa bed. Zoey, on the other hand; my two daughters are more then happy to share their room with her while you stay here."

"Are your daughters well behaved?" Peter started to frown, as if fearing they weren't. "I don't want my daughter to be near any bad influences, not that I'm questioning your parenting."

"Oh, no offence taken. Penny and Lucia are wonderful girls. Although, I don't think you'll meet Penny tonight. She and her friends are helping with a bake sale at the community center. But Lucia will definitely be home, helping Emily with preparing dinner."

"And Emily would be your wife, I assume? How's her cooking?"

"Oh, trust me," Rodolfo spoke up. "Aunt Emily's a great cook."

"Ah, very good," Peter nodded in approval. "I like a woman who can cook."

By now, the group had arrived at the baggage claim and stood waiting for the Rabes' luggage to come out. After a while, Peter was able to point out a large, dull brown suitcase and a smaller floral print one. As Peter took a hold of his bag, Zack reached out and took Zoey's. As he did so, he glanced over at her, trying to offer a friendly smile. But in response, Zoey simply looked away with downcast eyes, her face hidden by her hair.

* * *

That night, after dinner had been served and eaten, Mark and Peter took their seats in the living room area, where Emily served them slices of the apple pie she'd baked earlier. Over at the metal table, the children were starting on their slices, apart from Zoey, who had silently turned down the offer of pie. For a time, the pie was eaten in silence, until Lucia started to fall asleep halfway through her slice.

"I hope you all will excuse me," Emily spoke as she stood up. "It looks like it's someone's bedtime. Zoey, why don't you come with me? I'll help you get settled upstairs."

"Here, I'll help!" Zack quickly abandoned his pie to carry Zoey's suitcase upstairs, ignoring the look Rodolfo was giving him.

"Rodolfo," Mark glanced over at the young boy as the girls headed upstairs, Zack following close behind with Zoey's suitcase in tow. "Your Aunt Emily's right. It's getting late. Start getting ready for bed, okay?" Rodolfo glanced mournfully at the last few bites of his pie that remained on his plate for a moment before leaving the table. But when Mark looked away, Rodolfo shot out a hand to grab the rest of the pie, stealthy stuffing it into his mouth as he walked to his room, while Wenceslas and Maya disposed of the trail of crumbs he was leaving. Once they were alone, Peter started to speak to Mark.

"Your nephew was right," he noted. "You managed to marry a very good cook. And she even managed to bring up your children quite well. I must know how you ever managed to land someone like that." Mark took a moment to reply, finding himself smiling at the memory.

"It was actually an accident," Mark began after a long pause. "Lucky accident, though. I was trying to come up with a new idea for a movie, and was filming whatever I could while riding my bike along Bowery Street, down in Little Italy. But then, this car pulled out in front of me, and I didn't see it until I had just a few seconds to spare. I swerved to avoid getting hit and my bike wheel got stuck in a sewer grate. I ended up falling on the sidewalk and hit my head. It knocked me out for a while. Almost two hours. When I woke up, I found myself lying in a bed. You see, Emily had been walking up the street and saw me crash my bike. She brought me into her place, and even called a doctor to see if I was all right."

"So, she brought a complete stranger into her home?" Peter started frowning. "You didn't find that… careless?"

"Actually, I've always thought of it as compassionate," Mark explained. "You see, I didn't realize it for a _long_ time, but I think… that was when I first started falling for her."

"Well, to each his own, I suppose," Peter shrugged. "However, if my wife had been able to cook as well as yours, I might have let her get away with murder."

"Oh, you're married, too?" Mark asked.

"Was. She's been gone for a long time," Peter stated.

"I'm sorry," Mark apologized. "I didn't know."

"Water under the bridge, Mark," Peter waved off the sympathy. "She wasn't much of a wife, anyway." Once again, a silence fell over the Condo, which was slightly broken when Zack returned from the upstairs room.

"Night, Dad. Goodnight, Mr. Rabe," Zack waved as he headed off to his bedroom. Once inside his room, Zack immediately noticed Rodolfo peering down at him from his loft bed, an evil grin on his face.

"What's that look for?" Zack scrunched his face in confusion.

"Helping little miss Zoey with her suitcase. At the airport _and_ here," Rodolfo smirked.

"So? It's called being polite, Dolf." Rodolfo, instead of replying, fell back into his bed to lie on his back. But as Zack turned to head into the bathroom to brush his teeth, he heard Rodolfo making teasing kissing noises behind him. "Shut up, Dolf!" Zack cried, doing all he could to fight back the blush that threatened to form on his cheeks.


	4. Family Dinner

**AN:** Wow, I didn't think my writer's block could last so long. Even now, I'm not too pleased with how this chapter turned out, but at least it gets the message across. You start seeing what type of person Peter is in this chapter. Enjoy.

* * *

When morning came, Mark came out of his bedroom to find Peter was up and helping himself to the coffee Emily had brewed earlier. Emily, meanwhile, was in the process of putting Wenceslas into his harness to take him for a walk.

"Morning, Mark," Emily greeted upon noticing him enter the room.

"Hey, Emily," Mark smiled in return, pausing to acknowledge Peter before continuing. "So, what's on your schedule today?"

"I was going to take the children down to the Central Park Zoo. Mr. Rabe, you're free to join us if you'd like." Peter was quiet for a moment.

"I thank you for the offer, Mrs. Cohen, but I'd much rather have a tour of the city. Mark, I'm sure you know all the best places. Being a filmmaker, I'd be very surprised if you haven't been all over New York."

"Um…. Sure, I guess I could play tour guide," Mark replied. "Emily, you don't mind if I rain check going to the zoo with you and the children, do you?"

"Oh, not at all! You go and have fun," Emily grinned. "But we're meeting at the Life tonight for our monthly family dinner. Don't forget, okay?"

"No chance, I'll be there," Mark promised.

* * *

Once Emily and the children had arrived at the zoo, it was decided that they'd split into two separate groups. Emily, Lucia and Penny would start at the Rain Forest area of the zoo while Zack and Rodolfo would take Zoey to check out the Polar Circle section. At noon, they'd all meet at the Leaping Frog Café for a small lunch. As they went off, Zack tried to strike up a conversation with Zoey.

"So," he began. "You ever visit a zoo before?" Zoey was silent for a moment before replying.

"No. I haven't," she spoke, almost in a whisper.

"Never?!" Rodolfo gaped in disbelief. "Why didn't you say so earlier?" With that, he quickly took her by the arm and hurried off in the direction of the polar bears. However, the moment they arrived at the polar bear exhibit and Rodolfo let go of her arm, Zoey shrank away, almost instinctively, something neither Zack or Rodolfo could not overlook.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Zack asked in concern.

"I… I just don't like people touching me," Zoey replied quickly, avoiding eye contact.

"Oh, hey! No problem," Rodolfo grinned. "You have personal space issues, no big deal. We understand." However, even after Rodolfo redirected his attention to the polar bears, Zoey still looked uneasy. For a moment, Zack simply looked at her silently, but then came up to her side.

"Wanna look at the otters?" he gestured to the otter exhibit a short distance away. "I have a feeling you'll like them." After a few seconds of hesitation, Zoey nodded and followed Zack to the otter exhibit, where she watched intently as the otters dashed over the rocks and logs, twirled and shot through the water, and even wrestled with each other for a quick moment.

"They….never hold still, do they?" Zoey asked.

"Well…," Zack chuckled as Rodolfo joined them in watching the otters' antics. "They do when they're sleeping."

For a while, the three of them stood at the otter exhibit. However, Zack couldn't concentrate on the animals, and kept glancing over at Zoey. This was the very first time he'd actually seen a real smile on her face.

* * *

After night fell, Emily and the children arrived at the Life to find Mark and Peter had already arrived.

"Ah, so Mrs. Cohen and the children have finally decided to show," Peter observed. "I suppose we can start ordering, once they decide what they want."

"Not exactly," Mark shook his head. "Maureen and Joanne haven't arrived yet."

"Well, perhaps their husbands should hurry them up." Immediately, Mark and Emily exchanged a partially amused, yet slightly worried, glance, one which was mirrored by Zack, Rodolfo, Penny and Lucia. What exactly was Peter's view on that subject? Noticing the look, Peter raised an eyebrow. "Have I missed a joke?"

"Not really," Emily explained. "It's just that… Maureen and Joanne are...together. As in life partners."

"You mean, as in homosex…?"

"Yeah, that's right," Mark confirmed. For a brief moment, Peter's brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything about it.

It was a good ten minutes before Maureen and Joanne finally arrived. When they did, Maureen immediately took a place in the chair next to Penny.

"Hey, guys!" Maureen grinned at everyone before noticing Peter and Zoey. "Oh! You must be Mark's new investor! Hi, I'm Maureen, and this is Joanne. Welcome to New York. You enjoying your stay so far? You really should make time to come see me one night."

"Maureen appears in Broadway shows," Joanne clarified, noticing the expression on Peter's face. "But that aside, Maureen, you really need to work on coming on too strong. You don't want to overwhelm him, after all."

"Oh, come on," Maureen rolled her eyes before wrapping her arms around Joanne from behind. "You know I've been getting better at that." Joanne let out a scoff at first, but then smiled warmly and kissed Maureen's temple.

"Yes, you have," she admitted.

The group ordered dinner not long after that, and the night went on among random conversations. But all that changed when Maureen took the time to visit the bathroom. When she was finished, she started to return to the table, but stopped when she heard the bartender talking with Peter, who had apparently gone up to order more drinks for the table. Instinctively, she stayed hidden, so no one would notice her eavesdropping.

"I have to say," Peter was saying. "When I first heard they were lesbians, I was quite surprised. But after seeing what kind of person the brunette is, I completely understand. No self-respecting man would want to be tied down to a woman who's as brazen and unrefined as _her_. Only another woman would have enough pity to take someone like_ that_ in."

As a laughing Peter returned to the table, Maureen found herself frozen in place. It wasn't like her to care what other people thought about her, but to have someone think that she was with Joanne because she couldn't find a guy willing to 'be tied down' to her? She couldn't really explain why, but that accusation hurt.

* * *

Back at the table, Peter was offering Mark one of the drinks he ordered, while Joanne was talking with Penny.

"So, where's James tonight?" Joanne asked. "Usually, the two of you are joined at the hip, so I was sure he'd be here with you tonight."

"Oh, he had to work tonight," Penny fought back a blush at Joanne's accusation on how close she and James were. "There's a big concert at the Philharmonic tonight, so they need as many taxi drivers on the clock as possible."

At that moment, Maureen returned, trying without much success to hide the fact that she was upset about something.

"What's wrong, Auntie Maureen?" Lucia asked in concern.

"It's nothing, Lucia," Maureen spoke quickly. "Joanne, can we go home?"

"Honey, you haven't finished your dinner, yet," Joanne pointed out.

"So what?" Maureen snapped. "I just want to go home, okay?"

"Sure, all right," Joanne pushed her confusion aside, realizing that something must have really upset her lover. After grabbing their purses, and saying goodbye to the others, the two women left.

"I don't think I've ever seen Maureen that upset before," Mark frowned in confusion. "I wonder what happened."

"Oh, who knows how women think?" Peter pointed out, sipping his drink.

* * *

Later that night, after the Cohens and the visiting Rabes returned to the Condo, Zoey was just changing into her nightgown in the upstairs bedroom while Lucia was in the bathroom brushing her teeth. Before she could join the strawberry-blonde haired girl in the bathroom so she could brush her teeth too, she heard a tentative knock on the wall by the staircase. When she turned, she saw a nervous-looking Zack standing there, with a hand behind his back.

"Hey," Zack greeted, looking like he was feeling extremely awkward. "I just wanted… to say 'goodnight.'"

"Oh," Zoey glanced away for a moment. "Good night to you, too."

"Right," Zack nodded. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, then." With that, Zack turned to leave, but then stopped. "Actually, there was something else." Zoey looked up in surprise as Zack walked up to her, holding something out. When Zoey took it, she saw it was a small figurine of an otter.

"You're…giving this to me?" Zoey asked hesitantly.

"Um," Zack shifted slightly, looking even more nervous then before. "You seemed to like the otters at the zoo today, so I got that at the gift shop for you. But if you… don't like it…"

"Oh, it's not that!" Zoey quickly assured him. "It's just that… no one's ever given me anything for no reason before. Thank you."

"Oh, it was no problem. I _wanted _to get it for you." After a hesitant pause, the two shared a nervous smile. However, they both looked up with a jump when someone cleared their throat. Standing at the top of the stairs, with a stern expression on his face, was Peter.

"Oh!" Zack instinctively stepped away from Zoey. "Hello, Mr. Rabe. I was just giving Zoey a little 'welcome to the city' gift."

"I see," Peter nodded curtly. "Well, seeing how it's getting late, you best join your cousin in your bedroom."

"Right," Zack nodded as he quickly left the room. He remembered how his father had been when Penny and James first started dating, and wasn't exactly prepared to take the risk that Zoey's dad would be just as protective of his daughter.

After Zack had left, Zoey started to move to her bed when Peter pulled her back roughly.

"What do you think you're doing, being alone with that boy?" he hissed.

"Nothing!" Zoey insisted, her voice filled with fear. "We were just talking, really!"

"Don't lie to me!" Peter ordered, shaking her. "I know what 'just talking' means. Is that what you want? To be nothing but a common whore?"

"N..no!" Zoey shook her head. "Daddy, please!" Not swayed by the fearful look on his daughter's face, Peter brought the back of his hand across her face hard.

"I will not tell you this again, Zoey," Peter growled bringing his face very close to hers. "If you know what's good for you, you'll start learning your place. I will not have an impudent, disrespectful daughter. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Daddy," Zoey whispered, the beginnings of tears in her eyes.

"Good," Peter nodded in satisfaction. "You best remember your mother, Zoey. She never learned her place. You don't want the same thing to happen to you." Without another word, Peter left the room. Zoey immediately got into her bed, wrapping up in the covers as tightly as she could, willing herself not to cry.


	5. Bruise

**AN:** Sorry for the long wait. Late December's a busy time of year for my family. But now that things have calmed down a bit, I can have more time to concentrate on my writing. Happy New Year to all.

* * *

When the morning sun shone through the window the next day, Mark let out a low groan, squeezing his eyes shut against the offending light that glared through his eyelids. He rolled over so his back was to the window, hoping to get back to sleep, but thoughts of getting more rest vanished from his mind when he heard Emily's voice nearby. Opening one eye, he glanced over to see she was on the phone with someone.

"So, she's still sleeping then? Did she say anything about what happened last night?...Okay, then, just be sure to call us when she explains everything, all right? We were pretty worried about it, too....Thanks, talk to you later. Bye." As Emily hung up the phone, Mark pulled himself out of bed to walk over and hug her from behind. Emily jumped a bit from the embrace, but quickly calmed down.

"Morning, Emily," Mark chuckled. "You're jumpy this morning, aren't you?"

"You startled me," Emily scolded, reaching back to lightly touch his cheek. "I thought you were still sleeping."

"Next time I'll announce it when I wake up. How does that sound?" Grinning widely, Mark placed a kiss on the back of Emily's head. "So who was that on the phone?"

"Joanne. I wanted to see if she'd figured out what got Maureen that upset last night?"

"And?"

"Well, Maureen hasn't said anything about it yet. Whenever Joanne tries to ask, Maureen always changes the subject. I asked Joanne to call us back the moment she gets Maureen to explain."

"Sounds good." For a short time, Mark was quiet, simply resting his forehead on Emily's shoulder. "Um, Emily? You know how I had to give a rain check for the trip to the zoo yesterday? How mad would you be if I skipped out on 'family time' again today?

"You have plans?"

"Peter mentioned he wanted to go out for a drink today."

"That's great, Mark. Be sure to have fun, okay?" Mark took a brief moment to glance at Emily, and saw her smile reached her eyes.

"You… you're sure?"

"Mark, sweetie, of course its okay with me! You deserve a day out to just be a guy. I was thinking about heading over to Joanne and Maureen's place anyway, to see if I could help Joanne get Maureen to explain."

"And what about the children?" Mark asked.

"James was going to stop by today with his little brother, Sammy. I'm sure he and Penny can baby-sit for a while."

"Oh, James, huh?" Mark frowned ever-so-slightly. In response, Emily lovingly ran her fingers through his hair.

"Don't act that way, Mark, sweetie. You know you'd like him if you just took the time to get to know him. Just think about what type of guy Penny _could _have ended up going out with. Some loud-mouthed punk with every inch of his face pierced, hair clipped off in some spiky green Mohawk, with the numerous names of all his sexual conquests burned into his arm with a lit cigarette." Mark couldn't stop the instant laugh from Emily's description.

"Where'd you ever come up with _that_ profile?" he asked.

"Oh, some distant relative of mine on my mother's side. Only met him once, but that was enough." Mirroring his chuckle, Emily placed a kiss on Mark's cheek. "Now, you go and have a good time with Peter, all right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Mark teased. But when she turned to leave the room, he took hold of her wrist, waiting until she turned to face him before speaking softly. "I love you." Smiling just as softly, Emily took Mark' face in her hands, so hazel eyes and blue ones could meet more easily.

"I love you," she replied. Pausing only for a moment to share a smile, they momentarily came together for a kiss that lasted for a few seconds.

* * *

Inside Freeman's, Mark and Peter were conversing over the drinks they'd ordered. In the middle of their conversation, Peter suddenly noticed that Mark was constantly glancing around the room, with a distant, pained look on his face.

"Did I say something wrong?" Peter arched an eyebrow.

"No, it's not that," Mark shook his head. "Just old memories. I used to come here all the time with my friends, in the early days before we discovered the Life."

"Ah. I see," Peter smiled in understanding. "Well, why didn't you mention that earlier? I would have been more then happy to have them join us." Mark's eyes fell to the floor for the moment, Peter's words hitting him harder then he'd have liked.

"You don't understand," Mark forced the words out. "They…they died about ten years ago. Complications, due to the AIDS virus."

"Oh!" Peter's face registered multiple expressions of surprise and sympathy. "Mark, I am so sorry. I had no idea."

"It's fine, Peter. I know you didn't." For a time, the two men were silent, until Peter spoke again.

"So, does that mean you no longer have any male friends?"

"Well….there is Benny, I suppose," Mark mused. "But he's usually busy with his job these days. Plus, he has his own wife and son to spend time with."

"Mmm. Well, then it's probably a good thing I came along. Ten years is a long time to not be able to spend time with any other men. Perhaps, after I've returned home after this business trip, I can someday return for a visit."

"Yeah," Mark gave a small smile, grateful for the friendship. "That would be nice."

* * *

Back at the Condo, Penny and James were sharing a seat on the couch, with Sammy sitting between them, flipping through a picture book. In front of the television, Rodolfo and Zack were in the middle of playing Super Mario Brothers 3, taking turns while controlling Mario and Luigi, while Lucia simply watched, perfectly content in viewing her brother and 'cousin's' walkthrough of the game. However, the moment of silence was broken when Rodolfo cried out.

"Zack, will you wake up?" Rodolfo gestured violently to the screen as Luigi lost another life. "You just stood there and let that Goomba kill you!" When Rodolfo glanced over at Zack, he saw that the blue-eyed boy had once again directed his attention to Zoey, who had been sitting quietly by the window all day, working on some sort of needlework. She hadn't spoken a single word to anyone all morning, and Zack couldn't help but wonder what was wrong. Yesterday, he was sure she was starting to open up and coming out of her shell a bit. At least he'd gotten a smile out of her. But now, she was even more withdrawn then she had been upon arriving.

After a moment of thinking it over, Zack gestured to Rodolfo to wait one moment and got up, crossing the room to Zoey's side.

"Hey, Zoey," Zack began, trying to not sound too nervous as he gestured to the game he was playing. "You want to join us? Girls vs. boys, me and Rodolfo alternating with Mario, and you and Lucia alternating with Luigi."

"No," Zoey spoke softly. "I….I don't know how to play. And my father wouldn't approve of me doing something that wasn't constructive."

"This is constructive!" Rodolfo, who had been eavesdropping, inputted his opinions. "Having something to unwind and have fun with is _very_ constructive! If you can't have fun from time to time, your head would explode."

"Come on, Zoey!" Lucia grinned, walking up to lightly pull on Zoey's arm in encouragement. "Please come play with us." The moment Lucia took hold of her arm, however, Zoey winced and gave a small jump.

"No!" Zoey insisted, pulling away in an almost defensive manner. "Please, I don't…"

"Guys, just leave her alone," Penny instructed, finally stepping into the conversation. "If she doesn't want to play, she doesn't have to." Zoey took this chance to try and retreat to the upstairs bedroom, but as she passed, James stood up, looking at the young girl in a scrutinizing manner.

"Zoey, hold on for a minute," James requested, heading over before crouching down in front of her. "Could I see your arm for just a moment?" Once again, Zoey looked extremely worried about something. Clearly noticing this, James went on in a gentle tone. "I'm not going to hurt you, Zoey. I just want to see your left arm for just a moment. Please?"

Hesitatingly, Zoey held out her arm and allowed James to carefully roll her sleeve up a bit. This action made it possible for everyone to see the blotchy purple bruise that was positioned on her arm.

"Whoa!" Rodolfo gaped as everyone stared. "How'd you do _that_!?"

"It's nothing," Zoey insisted. "I bumped my arm when we got on the plane coming here, that's all." For a brief moment, James glanced down at the bruise that had formed on Zoey's arm with a faraway look in his eyes, but then he stepped back.

"Thank you, Zoey," James gave a supportive smile. "You can head up, now." Not needing further invitation, Zoey hurried off upstairs. For a time, everyone was quiet until Penny told the boys to return to their video game. Once everyone was distracted again, Penny started an aside talk with James.

"I've seen plenty of bruises at nursing school, at the hospital where I study, and even in the old days, when I was growing up at the Center," she mused out-loud. "That bruise did not look like she'd had it for over three days. It still looks fresh."

"Yeah, I know," James agreed, the distant look still hanging in his eyes. "I've seen bruises that that, myself." Penny paused for a moment, half-expecting James to clarify his statement. But when he didn't, she went on.

"What do you think, James?" She asked.

"Hopefully?" James closed his eyes as he spoke, as if he was trying to block out past demons. "Hopefully, for her sake, it's nothing to worry about." But from the look on his face, Penny could tell that James seriously doubted it was nothing.

* * *

**AN: **Lucia watching Zack and Rodolfo play their video game was based on my own experiences as a child. One of my favorite pastimes was watching my older brother play computer games. (Although, that usually got my brother angry at me, since I was a loud breather, and that distracted him from his game.)


	6. Taking a Stand

**AN: **I am so sorry this took so long. My computer's recharging mechanism-thing went 'bye-bye', and I had to order a new computer. It's not here yet, so I have to use the school computer until it arrives. Anyway, I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait.

* * *

"Maureen, come out of there," Joanne instructed. "You've been in there all day. We can't help you if you won't tell us what happened, honey." When Maureen didn't give any reply, Joanne let out a frustrated sigh, glancing over at Emily, as if hoping she'd have an idea.

The two women had been trying without success to get Maureen to say what had happened last night to get her so upset. In the end, Maureen had practically bitten their heads off for the third degree and retreated to the bedroom, in an attempt to avoid the constant questions. Since then, Emily and Joanne had been trying to coax her out. In a last ditch effort, Emily ended up taking down the old cowbell Maureen kept on a shelf.

"Hey, 'Reen!" she called while giving it a quick ring. "Elsie's here. She wants to see you! Come on out!"

"Who told you about that?" Joanne blinked in surprise. She'd never forgotten about the protest Maureen had done years back, but couldn't remember ever telling Emily about it.

"Mark told me about it ages ago. I can't say I really understand why she chose that particular nursery rhyme. And I've been wanting to ask her about that diet coke line, but could never find the right time to bring it up. Is there something _wrong _about drinking it?" As if hoping that question would draw Maureen out, Joanne and Emily glanced at the door, which remained closed.

"Don't you have that lock pick set, Emily?" Joanne suggested.

"In the closet back home, yeah. But if you have a bobby pin or something, I could make do with that."

"We keep some in the bathroom down the hall." Before Emily could start a search for the bobby pin, however, Maureen finally came out of the bedroom.

"Finally," Joanne sighed in relief. "Maureen, honey, please just talk to us. We only want to know what's wrong."

"Can't you just leave me alone?" Maureen groaned. "Why can't you get the message? I don't want to talk about it."

"In case you've forgotten," Emily stepped in, frowning in concern, "I'm your friend, and Joanne is your partner. We can't exactly just ignore it when you're this upset. And something must have really upset you to make you not want to talk. How can we not be concerned?"

"Because it's none of your business, okay?" Maureen snapped. "Besides, how do you expect to help when I shouldn't even _be_ upset? I don't even _care _what he thinks."

"What _who_ thinks?" Joanne persisted. "Please, honey. Just talk to me." For a moment, Maureen was silent, glaring at Joanne and Emily in turn, but then her face deflated and she sank to the floor, sitting against the wall.

"Fine," she whispered, giving in.

* * *

Emily returned to the Condo that afternoon to find Lucia playing a board game with Sammy while Rodolfo and Zack were watching some movie on TV. Penny and James were on the couch talking in low voices, but they both looked up when the door opened, and when they saw her coming in, they started walking over. Immediately, Emily noticed the expressions on their faces and knew something was up.

"What's wrong?" Emily asked, concerned by the greeting she was getting from them. She was still a little surprised by what Maureen had said earlier, so she really wasn't in the mood for possibly bad news.

"Mrs. Cohen, can we talk to you for a moment?" James asked. "I think it might be important."

"Of course. This way," Emily agreed, leading them into her bedroom so they could talk in private.

When Emily, Penny and James had left the room, Rodolfo got up from his spot in front of the television to stretch a bit.

"Hey, Zack, I gotta go to the bathroom. Tell me what I missed when I get back, okay?"

"Huh?" Zack looked up in slight confusion before his brain registered what Rodolfo had said. "Oh, yeah. Sure thing, Dolf." The fact was Zack hadn't been really paying attention to the movie. He'd been too absorbed in thinking about how distant Zoey had become. And that bruise on her arm didn't help ease his mind. He'd been trying to remember if he'd seen it earlier, but when he'd thought about it, all her clothing had left her arms completely covered, so it was impossible to see her bare arms. And that had confused him even more, since it had been rather warm the past few days. Didn't she get hot dressing like that? All of that left him completely uninterested in what was happening in the movie he and Rodolfo had been watching.

After Rodolfo had returned, Zack spent a few more moments thinking it over before abandoning the television to make his way upstairs.

* * *

"Are you sure?" Emily's eyes had grown wide with shock at what James and Penny had told her.

"Maybe it really is nothing," Penny replied. "Maybe she really did get that bruise by bumping her arm. But…I don't know. Something doesn't feel right about it."

"I know one thing," James spoke up, his eyes clouded over again. "You don't get a bruise like _that _from bumping into something. It was too big for that." For a time, the three of them were quiet, thinking about the same thing. But after a moment, they heard the door opening and Mark and Peter's voices, indicating they were back from the bar. They headed back into the main room of the Condo in time to see Peter asking Rodolfo where Zoey was.

"She's been in the upstairs room almost all day," Rodolfo replied.

"Thank you," Peter nodded. "I'm going to see how her needlework's coming along. She's been working on it for almost a week now." As Peter started to head upstairs, a smiling Mark turned to the three people standing by the bedroom door.

"So, you had fun?" Emily spoke, trying to keep her worry out of her voice.

"Yes, I did," Mark replied. "I haven't been able to just go out and have guy time like that since…."

Emily didn't need Mark to finish his sentence. She could see in his face he was thinking about Roger and Collins. For a brief moment, she considered keeping quiet about the bruise Penny and James found on Zoey's arm, and what Maureen had confessed hearing Peter say last night. It had been so long since Mark had had a guy friend to spend time with, and she did not want to spoil it for him. However, her indecision must have shown in her face, for Mark's mood quickly shifted.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

"Mark," Emily sighed before beginning. "First of all, you know I don't want to tell you what to do with your life, and I want you to enjoy time out with the guys."

"But?" Mark prompted, unsure where this was going.

"Mr. Cohen," James took over for Emily. "There's something we think you should know. This morning, when Penny and I were watching the children…" At that moment, James was cut off when a loud, angry shout rang out from the upstairs bedroom

* * *

Upstairs, Zoey was sitting on her bed, hunched up in a tight ball, occasionally rubbing at the bruise on her arm. She hated people seeing those bruises. They were like brand marks, showing all her transgressions. It was even more awkward being around Zack, Rodolfo and Lucia. Not one of them had a single bruise, which proved they were all well behaved, and did what was expected of them. How would they react if they knew the same couldn't be said for her? She was far from well behaved. Her bruises always proved that. For that reason, she didn't want them to see the bruise on her arm. She really liked being around them all, but she knew she'd loose that if they knew the truth.

Zoey's thoughts were interrupted when she sensed someone looking at her. With a jump, she turned to see Zack standing nearby.

"Um, Zoey?" Zack started a small monologue that sounded rehearsed. "I've noticed that… you've been quiet today. Well, more quiet then usual. I just want you to know… that I think I know why you're like that." Zoey's eyes widened a bit, and she instinctively stepped back ever-so-slightly. He knew? He knew why she'd gotten that bruise? She was about to give some sort of cover-up story when Zack continued quickly.

"It's okay, I understand! I get that you just want some space and all. I shouldn't have crossed the line last night. I wasn't trying to make you uncomfortable or anything like that."

"What?" Zoey suddenly found herself talking, completely confused as to what Zack was saying.

"I understand you've been distant today because I made you uncomfortable last night, when I gave you that otter. I was just trying to be nice because I thought you'd like it, and…. I was hoping you'd think of it as a gift…between friends. But if you don't want to be friends, you can just say so now, and I'll leave you alone for the rest of your visit." As Zack finished, his eyes dropped to the ground, so he was focusing on his shoes. For a long time, the two were absolutely silent until Zack coughed nervously. "Well, I won't bother you any more, then. Sorry, again, Zoey." As Zack turned to leave, Zoey took a few steps forward.

"No!" she gave a soft cry, surprised by her boldness. "Zack, please. It's not… you didn't do anything. I… I really did like your gift. But I know you don't want to be around someone like me, so…."

"What are you talking about?" Zack spoke incredulously. "Why wouldn't I want to know you?"

"Because… I'm not like you, Zack. I'm not well behaved like you, or your sister and cousin. I get in trouble all the time back home, and I always do things wrong. Trust me, you don't want to be friends with someone like me." It took a while for Zack to find his voice. Those were the most words she'd spoken since she'd arrived in New York, and it left him slightly stunned.

"Zoey," Zack fought back a chuckle. "You're wrong. Rodolfo and I; we're not exactly well behaved the way you think we are. You should see some of the stuff we get up to with our friend, Alvin. Last month we had a week's detention for swapping a film strip they were going to show at a school assembly for a copy of Wayne's World. And… I don't think you're as bad as you say you are. Everyone messes up sometimes. That doesn't make you a bad person. I think you're nice. Really nice. And you know something? Aunt Joanne says that the people who _really _are bad usually don't think they are. Just think about all the terrible people you hear about on the news. They probably think they're in the right. So if you think you're bad, you might not be at all."

"You don't understand," Zoey looked away with downcast eyes. "If you knew….you wouldn't..."

"Why don't you try me?" Hesitating for only a moment, Zoey finally looked up at Zack. But as she opened her mouth to speak, a loud, angry shout made them both jump. Peter was standing over them in a moment, looking completely murderous.

"You little hussy," he snarled, grabbing Zoey's arm and roughly yanking her away from Zack. "I told you not to be alone with that boy! That's the _second _time you've disobeyed me since we got here!"

"Daddy, please stop!" Zoey begged, trying to pull away.

"Mr. Rabe, Zoey didn't do anything. I came up to talk with her. It's not her fault," Zack tried explaining. However, Peter didn't pay attention and continued yelling at Zoey.

"What's going on?" A slight distraction arrived at that moment when Mark and Emily appeared in the room, with James, Penny and Rodolfo following them.

"Peter, what are you doing?" Mark glanced between the raging man and his daughter, who looked close to tears.

"Simply teaching an disrespectful daughter to mind me," Peter growled without looking up. "This isn't the first time I caught her alone with your son. It's unacceptable. You can continue whatever it was you were doing, Mark."

"I don't think so!" Emily suddenly pushed herself past Mark to pull Zoey away from Peter. "I've had just about enough of you. Since Roger and Collins died, Mark hasn't had much chance to have a day out with the guys, and I hoped you'd be the one to change that. But lately I've been trying to push aside my doubts about you, Peter Rabe, even after Maureen told me what you said about her last night, and I even refused to jump to conclusions when Penny and James found that bruise on your daughter's arm. But now I've seen quite enough to know my fears were well founded." As Emily spoke, Peter's face grew even more red.

"Mark," Peter spat, pointing a finger at Emily. "I suggest you consider reminding your woman of her place."

"Her place?" Mark gaped, hardly believing that Peter was talking like this.

"That's right. This woman needs someone to teach her to hold her tongue. I suggest you keep her far away from that brunette wench while you're at it, since _she _can't seem to hold her tongue either. Small wonder where your woman's picking up such bad habits."

"Oh, I'll hold my tongue, all right," Emily replied. "When I have good reason to do so. And seeing a child being unreasonably punished when she didn't do anything is not on that list."

"Keep quiet, woman!" Peter shouted. Before anyone could react, he'd lifted and arm and took a swing, the back of his hand landing hard across Emily's face. The force of the impact, along with the surprise that came with the blow, sent her to the ground.

Without blinking or showing any regret at what he'd just done, Peter turned back to Zoey, but before he could raise a finger to the child, a fist suddenly collided with his cheek, sending him stumbling backwards to maintain his balance. With eyes wide from surprise, Peter turned to Mark. No one in the room had ever seen the filmmaker as angry as he appeared now. He was even shaking from the fury, and when he spoke, his voice was low and filled with warnings of danger.

"What are you doing?" Mark snarled, his eyes blazing.

"Okay, maybe it wasn't my place to do that," Peter admitted, rubbing his jaw. "But _someone _had to remind that woman of _her _place."

"She _was_ in her place," Mark shouted. "Her place was right where it was, between you and your daughter. The only one out of line here is _you_."

"Oh, come on now Mark. You know as well as I do that she was overstepping her position as a woman. If you don't keep them in line, they'll end up running wild." Mark shot Peter an 'if-looks-could-kill' glare.

"I want you out of my house. Right now. Forget your f-cking money. If getting you to invest in my company means letting you stay in my place, then I don't want it"

"Mark, come on," Peter started laughing. "I know you don't mean that. You're not about to…"

"DO YOU SEE _ME_ LAUGHING?" Mark screamed. "GET OUT!" Peter's smile faded and was replaced with a scowl.

"Fine. If that's the way you want it," Peter went to grab Zoey to take her, but found James blocking his way while Penny shielded the child. "You give me my daughter right now, do you hear me?"

"No chance," James refused to move.

"If you don't step aside right now, I will call the police on you," Peter warned. "I'll have you arrested for abducting my daughter. Now _stand aside_!" When James refused to move, Peter tried to shove him aside, only to find that he couldn't outmuscle him easily. After a struggle, Peter was knocked to the floor. As he fell, he reached out a hand behind him to stop his fall, but before he could get up again, he felt something cold and hard close around his wrist, accompanied by a low clicking sound. Looking back, he found that when he'd fallen, his hand had been brought down close to the bed leg, which enabled Rodolfo, who was crouching nearby, to fasten his wrist to the bed leg with a pair of handcuffs.

"Remove these handcuffs right now!" Peter ordered.

"Sorry, Mr. Rabe," Rodolfo frowned in strong dislike. "But I don't really know where the key to them is."

"Rodolfo, where'd you get handcuffs?" Mark's anger had disappeared, and he was now looking at his 'nephew' in surprise while bending over Emily to help her sit up.

"Um," Rodolfo suddenly looked a little embarrassed. "I found them. When I was…looking through the box of Mom and Dad's old things, when I was sick last month." In spite of the situation, those who had known Roger and Mimi found themselves smiling ever-so-slightly. But it was with a more solemn air that the Bohemian family moved downstairs, with Penny gently shepherding a shaken Zoey, in order to call the police on Peter, ignoring the handcuffed man's continued yelling.

* * *

**AN:** Sorry for the abrupt ending to this chapter. There wasn't much left to be said. The last chapter should be up soon.


	7. Moving On With Life

A week had passed since the police had taken Peter Rabe into custody on the charges of child abuse. A court trial had been held two days earlier, and inside the Condo, Mark was on the phone, discussing what the judge's calling had been with Joanne who had volunteered to help testify against Peter. It had turned out that Peter hadn't even really tried to deny the charges, and repeatedly stuck to his stance that it was his right as a man to keep his daughter in line, so she would remember her place and role as a female.

"Thanks for your help on the trial, Joanne," Mark stated thankfully.

"It was no problem, Mark. Anytime. Just one question. How did your boss take loosing him as an investor?"

"Actually, Patrick was actually glad it ended this way. He said that once word of Peter's trial gets around, any film industry that has connections to him are going to be in danger of loosing other interested sponsors. So we were lucky we hadn't gotten around to final plans with him."

After the conversation had come to an end, Mark shifted his attention to his family, who were waiting nearby for the news.

"Well, Joanne said that Peter has been taken to a correctional facility, where he'll be having regular counseling. Although, I'm not sure how counseling will be able to help. He's pretty much set on his low opinion on women, if you ask me."

"Dad?" Zack, who had barley spoken to anyone since Peter's arrest, looked imploringly up at Mark from his seat by the window, where Zoey had been sitting moments before Penny and James had discovered her bruise. "What's going to happen to Zoey." For a brief moment, Mark looked down at his feet before answering his son's question.

"Last I heard, social services were making arrangements with Zoey's grandparents in Iowa. They said they would be more then happy to take in their granddaughter, especially after their daughter, Zoey's mother, had her…. _accidental _fall down a flight of stairs." As Mark finished his explanation, he shared a dark look with Emily, showing they both had doubts about the fall being an accident.

With the knowledge that Zoey was being taken to Iowa, Zack's face deflated even more, and he retreated to his bedroom. After a momentary pause, Mark followed him into the room. Upon entering, he found Zack sprawled out on his loft bed. Before Mark could try to say something, Zack started talking.

"We're not gonna see her again, are we?"

"I don't know," Mark admitted, "but in all honesty… I don't think there's a good chance of it."

"It's not fair," Zack complained.

"I know it's not, Zack," Mark comforted, laying a hand on Zack's arm. "But you need to remember that Zoey's gonna be living with loving relatives now, and they'll take better care of her then Peter did. She'll be much happier in Iowa, believe me, and I don't think she'll forget that you tried to help her."

"I know she's better off there," Zack confessed. "I just wish…she was closer, so we could at least visit her. I know we can still write to each other and stuff, but it's not the same."

"No, it's not," Mark sighed. "Zack, if there was something I could say to make things better for you, I'd say it now. But if I said that it'll get better in time, I'd be lying. Life doesn't work like that. Everyone gets their heart broken at some point in their life, and sometimes the people you care about are taken away before you're ready to say goodbye. Time will not change that. All you can do is remember that your mother and I will always be around to help you through the hard times, and so will Auntie Maureen, Aunt Joanne, and the rest of our family." At the mention of Maureen, Zack reluctantly found himself smiling.

"Is Auntie Maureen still planning to go out and organize another protest against people like Mr. Rabe?" Zack asked.

"Knowing her, it's very possible," Mark mirrored the small smile.

At that moment, a small cough was heard as Penny announced her presence.

"Sorry to interrupt, Dad," Penny apologized. "But James is here, so…"

"Thanks, Penny," Mark nodded. "Tell him I'll be right out."

In the aftermath of Peter's arrest, Mark had come to be quite grateful towards James after his help in protecting Zoey from Peter. There was no doubt in his mind that if James hadn't been there, Peter would have had no reservation in hurting Penny to get at his daughter when the strawberry-blonde-haired girl was shielding Zoey from him. Since then, Mark had decided to get to know James better, and not just as his daughter's boyfriend. Today, they had been planning to visit Ellis Island to just talk, and then stop for a drink on the way back.

As Mark started leaving the room to join James, Zack spoke up again.

"Dad? Do you think…could I come along, too?" Mark looked back with a kind smile.

"Of course," he agreed. "You, me, James, and Rodolfo. There's nothing like time out with other guys to make you feel better after a girl, especially when they're guys who really care about you. I know that for a fact."

Mark's words proved to be well spoken. When the four of them left the Condo moments later, Zack found that, in the knowledge that he would be spending the day out with his family, he was already feeling a little better. At the same time, he couldn't stop himself from hoping that somewhere in Iowa, with the help of her grandparents, Zoey was starting to feel better as well.


End file.
